With the increased threat of hacking and phishing attacks to computer systems, there are greater needs for effective and efficient user authentication techniques to prevent malicious users from gaining access to secure resources. Some methods for securing internet resources have been attempted, but these solutions are insufficiently secure, are inefficient, or are vulnerable to phishing attacks.
QR codes and other encoded visual representations permit quick data transfer between mobile devices and other computing devices. Different systems currently use QR codes to transfer data, authenticate users, or identify products. Such QR codes permit mobile devices to interact directly with other computing devices to quickly receive or transfer data. For example, a mobile device can scan a QR code displayed on a screen or other display medium, decode the QR code, and thereby obtain data for authorizing user access to certain restricted locations or systems. QR code authorization systems, however, may be susceptible to phishing attacks in which a malicious user attempts to access a restricted online resource. For example, the malicious user may use phishing techniques to send the QR code to an authorized user, who may scan the code and validate themselves for authorized access to a secure resource, thereby giving the malicious user access to the resource or to the authorized user's data.
Accordingly, in view of these and other deficiencies in existing techniques involving QR codes and access to secure resources, technological solutions are needed for effective, efficient, and secure authorization through encoded visual representations. Solutions should also guard against phishing attacks and other attempts by malicious users to gain access to secure resources. Such systems should authenticate a user only if the QR code or other visual representation originates from a trusted website or other source.